Barnstaple Town win 5-1 at Farnborough in first FA Trophy tie for 30 years

THIRTY years after their last appearance in the FA Trophy, Barnstaple Town produced one of the most memorable results in their history.

Helped by an early red card for Farnborough goalkeeper Aaron Bufton, Barum ran out 5-1 winners in this afternoon’s preliminary-round tie.

The victory was book-ended by free-kick goals from Liam Gregory. In between, Steve Holland, Shaun Copp and Jed Harper-Penman found the net against the unbeaten Evo-Stik League Southern Division One Central leaders.

Barnstaple will now visit Southern Premier Division side Dorchester Town in first round qualifying on Saturday, October 29.

The only downside for Barum was injuries to strikers Scott Sharp and Ryan Turner.

There may have only been 172 watching, but the 6,000-capacity Rushmoor Community Stadium was still a big stage for the Barnstaple players.

Farnborough have started the league season in fine form and, two years ago, were playing in Conference South while Barnstaple were four rungs lower in the Toolstation Western League First Division.

The visitors were given an early settler, though, when Bufton, under pressure from Sharp, handled the ball outside the area and was dismissed by referee George Warren.

Farnborough sent on their substitute keeper, Joel Driscoll, but he was beaten by Gregory from the resulting free-kick to give Barnstaple a fifth-minute lead.

They were 3-0 up by the 20th minute as Holland scored his first goal since February 2015 and Copp followed up with his first of the season.

Copp might have had a hat-trick by half-time but it remained 3-0 until nine minutes into the second half.

Harper-Penman was denied by Driscoll soon after being sent on for the injured Turner in the 50th minute – but by the 54th he had put Town 4-0 up.

An own goal by Aaron Harper-Penman four minutes later got Farnborough on the scoreboard and it needed a good one-on-one save by Steve Oliver to stop them getting a second.

It was Barnstaple who scored again, though, as Gregory’s injury-time free-kick went in off the wall.